General Nediym filly Military Rose staked her claim for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic after a brilliant win in the Listed B J McLachlan Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on Boxing Day.

The Gold Coast based filly is raced by Hoss and Gillian Heinrich and she motored home to nail Marking Time (Markane) in a sizzling trial for the $2 million event on January 9.

NSW nursery Middlebrook Valley Lodge bred the winner and will offer a Testa Rossa half-sister to Military Rose as Lot 79 during the opening session of the Magic Millions yearling sale.

Gillian Heinrich virtually gave up all hope of winning when she saw her filly so far back in the field.  “I didn’t expect her to be back there and I didn’t think she could win from back there,” Heinrich said.  “But she’s so versatile.”

Winning jockey Stathi Katsidis has no doubt that Military Rose has what it takes to win Queensland’s richest race.  “She’s definitely Magic Millions material,” Katsidis claimed.  “She got smashed at the 600, but she dug really deep in the straight.”

The Heinrichs paid $155,000 for Military Rose at the 2009 Gold Coast Magic Millions.  She is from the Sydney winning Flying Spur mare Bella Maddelena and hails from the family of Zeditave, Melito and exciting young sire Jet Spur.

Marking Time was being hailed the winner at the furlong and his effort also pleased trainer John Wallace with a view to the 2YO Classic.  His younger brother by Eureka Stud sire Markane is catalogued as Lot 298 for March’s QTIS 600 Yearling Sale.